Info and forum posts by 'colin b'

RE: phillips dvd711

don`t know how to do it myself but you would be better off putting this question on the region hacks forum.

aliens special edition ?

I have just bought the region 4 version of "aliens special edition" from a web site in Australia. I knew it was the special edition but expected when playing it to be able to watch the original version if required (as with the ABYSS and T2),as I don`t like the extra footage. I borrowed a copy of this (region 2) from a friend (who has since moved) when I first got my player, and was sure that you could play just the original version. Anyone got this title in region 2, and if so can you play the original version on it. Thanks

does the philips have picture problems with anamorphic discs ?

I have had a philips dvd 711 for a few months now and have been very pleased with the picture generally. However I have bought a few discs that appear to have the same picture problems and wonder if this is due to the fact that they are anamorphic. The discs are the Mask and the Wedding Singer. Also I have recently bought Demolition man. The problem is with shimmering, at least that`s what I think you call it. When the picture moves quickly, there is like a sort of blocky movement to it then when the picture is not moving, it returns to normal, i.e. if the picture is panning around a room, as in the bar scene in the Wedding Singer, the background wood panelling, seems to move. Demilotion man is even worse. I think that the mask and wedding singer are anamorphic but not sure about demolition man. I have a new Grundig widescreen tv, and using RGB from scart. Most other dvd`s I have look excellent except for these titles.
Does anyone know if it is because the discs are anamorphic ? Has anyone else experienced these problems at all. Is it just bad production of the discs ? Any clues. Thanks

RE: www.Play247.com FANTASTIC

I also agree. I`ve bought 5 dvd`s from them, and all came quickly and by recorded delivery. They have first class service too. The first disc I ordered was star trek the voyage home region 1. When I got it I thought the picture quality was poor so I wrote to them. They asked me to send it back and I could return it for a refund or have an exchange. I exchanged it for toy story box set. When I sent star trek back they even refunded my postage !! I have bought some more dvd`s fom them without a problem. When I originally got toy story, about 7 weeks ago, it`s box was broken. I did not hold play 247 responsible as it was probably broke in transit. I have tried to buy one in the shops but can`t get one, so I wrote to play 247 again asking if I could by a box from them. They replied the next day and apologised for the broken box and said if I send the whole thing back they will order me a new one and refund my postage again. Hows that for service !! They even have very good prices.

RE: Philips Firmware 7.12

The firmware is 7.03. Since our mis-understanding for which I have rightly apologised and sincerely hope that it`s all over with now, I thought that I should try and get the upgrade myself. I thought that if the player is still under guarantee (it`s only 5 weeks old), then they should send it to me anyway. They just wrote back saying that I have the latest firmware. I didn`t believe them. My firmware in full is :-
7.03 000320P2 4.3.13. Has anyone got it from philips and if so how .

Thanks

RE: Philips Firmware 7.12

I wrote to philips web site asking if there was an upgrede to my firmware. They wrote back saying that I already have the latest firmware on my machine. Is this because the firmware is for another model and not for the 711 or are they just being unhelpful. It was the uk philips site that wrote back to me.

Any idea?

Thanks

Colin B

RE: thinking of doing a web site for bad on-line companies

Your last paragraph is a good point and one that I hadn`t thought of but how does anyone know which are good/bad companies until someone buys from them. You are right about how would a company ever get started if customers waited to find out if the company was good, but that would mean there was no point to my idea at all. I got ripped off in my opinion and whilst my original idea was to just go after the one company I thought it would be better to play fair and give a balanced view of as many companies as possible so that people could make up their own minds bfore parting with hard earned cash. If some one had told me about bad experiences with this company then I would have saved myself the frustration of only being at the end of a phone and helpless.

It would be hard to know if letters from people are qenuine but I would imagine that with experience, I would be able to tell from the way a letter is written as to whether it was genuine. Obviously not a foolproof way but the only way I can think of . I agree with one of the replies that hiding behind a call name allows anything to be written but even if they did print their name and address there is no way of knowing if they supplied a real one anyway.

My intention is not to slag off companies, now my intention is to build up a database of good / bad companies that people can refer to in the hope that they never experience what I have with Techtronics.

Any more comments as to how best to do this are greatly appreciated and thank you all for your input so far; THANKS

RE: thinking of doing a web site for bad on-line companies

I take your point about a good buisness web site but think about this;

Before I bought from techtronics I looked at their letters page from other customers. The vast majority of them said how good the service was but were only talking about how quickly (or on the odd occasion not) they got their player. There were no postings about what happens if something goes wrong with the item or indeed how they were treated by customer service. Obviously they wouldn`t print bad press about themselves but the point I`m trying to make is that if you don`t have views from customers who have been treated badly, as well as treated well then there would be no balance. Plus you may have customers who THINK that a particular company is good just because they got the product and it worked fine and have had no cause to use customer services of that company, indeed if the player I had purchased from Techtronics had worked properly then I would have had no further dealings from them so would have said that it was a good company to deal with, if you see what I mean. I said that the company I buy dvd discs from is good because when I had a problem, they were polite and sorted my problem out without any problems. So, I think you need both good and bad experiences to make fair judgement on whether a company is good or bad , and there needs to be several people writing about the same company before a fair judgement can be made. Does this sound right to you.

RE: OneForAll 6:URC4300 or URC 7560 ?

I too hacked my player with perhaps not the correct remote so to speak. I bought one from index and it said it worked a dvd player and had the magic button and this worked first time so it would seem any one for all remote with dvd function and the "magic" button will work.

RE: thinking of doing a web site for bad on-line companies

I totally agree with you Jason, but in some instances if you want a certain item, you have to buy on the net if you don`t know any other way.

For instance, I wanted a multi region player and whilst some companies have shops too, I don`t know of any near me, so the internet was the only answer.After getting one from Techtronics and having a bad time with them, I ended up getting a philips player and because of Allen Verth`s region hack method it meant that I could by from a shop and do it myself.

I also wanted to buy region 1 dvd`s and could not find a place to buy from in the high street so again had to use the net. I found a good company in Play 247.com but when I ordered my first disc, had no idea if it would actually come or how long it would be. My first disc the highlander had a very poor picture indeed and they kindly let me send it back for replacement and refunded my postage for having to do so. This is what service should be about. I now only buy from this company because I found a good one. There are probably other good ones too but won`t risk trying to find out so have stuck with them. This is the whole problem, online buying IS a good idea if you find the right place. In Techtronics I chose wrongly, in Play247 I chose right but I still could have chosen wrong there also.

I still want to buy online and would do so from a few places if I knew where to go. You`ve been put off completely and I don`t blame you but that is such a shame and I am not going to let one bad company put me off, as I would then be the loser.

RE: thinking of doing a web site for bad on-line companies

Thanks for the advice Steve. I woundn`t know how to do this site and watch was put into the site if I am putting readers comments so I see what you mean. I had originally thought that as long as I wrote what actually happened and it was my opinion that that would be all right but I can see how I could get myself into deep waters unless I watch my step.

I actually think though, that the good companies would welcome such a site as it would encourage good practice if bad practice will be advertised. I know there are good retailers out there but how is anyone to know until they use a particular company, after which it`s too late.

If anyone could give me advise on how to go about this safely, this be a great help as I really do want to do this. If DVD reviewer is to do a site like this first then all well and good but it would still be good to have another site as well; the more the merrier

thinking of doing a web site for bad on-line companies

It seems that there is interest in providing information on bad/disreputable online companies who have given customers either shoddy goods or poor service. I have been a recent victim of this after buying a dvd player from techtronics.com. I read a recent thread entitled "a good place to buy a dvd player from" and to my surprise it seems like it could be a widespread problem. Since in my view I was robbed of £32 by this company and with no chance of getting it back, I thought I would put up a web site telling people about this company. After reading the above mentioned thread I think maybe I should put up a site for ALL bad experiences with online companies and if people send discriptions of the dealings they have had with such companies(both good and bad) then I could print them and also put up a league table of good/bad companies.

I would like people to please respond to this thread if they think it is a good idea and also to give me some idea of the interest that there may be in such a site.

Also any ideas for the site would be helpful also.

Thanks

Colin B

RE: philips hacked but problems

For IAN COURT.
I am new to forums and don`t know the procedure for the symbols like a smiley face, or indeed the correct protocol of writing. I made an off- the- cuff comment and lived to regret it. It was not meant to be offensive to anyone and could not get over the response. I have done my best in the former thread to say i`m sorry, but the aggression showed by some of the responses was unexpected.Anyhow , thanks for responding and trying to sool things down again.

Sincerely

Colin

RE: A good place to by DVD players online...

For Allen.

I am not a hypocrite. I am referring to swearing aimed directly at the person being written to i.e. err, that would be me, which I still think is very wrong. I am getting the gist of the way you write though and maybe I shouldn`t have taken it too personally but with some of the things you have written it`s difficult !!. ? Please also read the thread for the philips mod.

I have written more (not sarcastically). I hope this is an end to it all. I just wanted help.

RE: philips hacked but problems

I have just read the previous replies from Allen and Co, which I had not read before writing the preious thread. You seem to be getting more profane as time goes by, I have been described as a sort of a stuck-up snob from the south, I live in the north west and of liverpudlian decent and most definately not a snob and not minted either. Why can`t you all just give it a rest, I make one poorly judged comment and now people are making personal commnets.

RE: philips hacked but problems

This is for IAN COURT.

Your comments are very sensible and in all honesty having thought about it, I shouldn`t have made the sarcastic comment about the "gold block" in the first place and if Allen is reading this then I was not trying to upset you, I was just maybe insulted by the get another telly comment, it would seem wrongly so. You Ian, have put a perspective on it that has made me think I was wrong in what I wrote but I still feel that swearing is not the answer, although I swear myself from time to time, I would not put it down in written form to anyone.

You got the wrong end of the stick about spelling. I was not suggesting that people can`t spell (my own leaves a lot to be desired), it was a jibe at those who wrote back telling me to f------ off, by saying it`s a wonder how they manage to spell if all they can write back contains swearing, it was not aimed at anyone else.

I sincerely hope that this cleares things up. At the end of the day all I wanted is some help, and yes you are right about Allen, at least give the invention for everyone else to use.

RE: philips hacked but problems

Firstly, who asked for your opinion ?

Second, how do you manage to get the spelling right to your postings if your volabulary is so limited as to use four letter words ?

Thirdly, it`s sad that you must have been brought up in a time when this sort of language is a matter of course, but to me it never used to be.

RE: A good place to by DVD players online...

I too have had bad dealings with techtronics.com. I bought a toshiba sd100 multi region from them in november. I first of all wrote to them several times to see what their response times were and they usually responded within a couple of hours and were pleasent also. I also read their customer comments and this instilled me with confidence so I ordered it. It was delivered quickly enough but after plugging it in, it seemed very noisy mechanically. I rung them within 20 minutes of opening it but they just told me that it was usual for a toshiba to sound noisy and he proceeded to tell my that his top of the range pioneer could be heard from across the room, but that I should have bought a sony. He said that if I sent it back and it was "within spec" I would have to pay carriage both ways to get it back(about £25). I thought about it and decided not to risk it and put up with the noise. During the next ten days the noise got worse until it stopped playing discs. I then arranged with them to have it picked up which they did. It then took 7 days to have it checked and about 15 phone calls trying to get an answer from them(including e-mails which now, curiously don`t get answered). Eventually, I got a call from the technical director who said that it must have been "damaged in transit" as the aser was faulty and offered a replacement. I said that I wnated a refund but he would only give me a refund less 15% (£32). I put my case to him that it was their customer services department that told me it was normal to make such a noise or I would have sent it back straight away. He would have non of it so I had to take the money offered as I no longer wanted to deal with them anymore.

I wrote several e-mails to carl the technical director threatening to put up a web site telling of my experiences with techtronics so that others would not go through what I had, but never got any replies at all, obviously veiwing my efforts to get the rest of my money back with contempt.

I wonder what any of you think ? If I put up a web site about this company and ones like it, would people write to me with their experiences , which I could then put on the site for others to read. Any thoughts ?

RE: philips hacked but problems

This is from colin B. Thank you ORAC for sticking up for me. I maybe understand Mr verth being a bit cheesed-off but I quite frankly found it a bit insulting that he SUGGESTED getting another NEW tv. There is nothing wrong with my tv, if it was the toshiba I had would have had the same problem. Anyway I didn`t publish his name so as not to upset anyone, and whilst I may have been a bit sarcastic, and if this upset Mr verth then I am sorry for that , his language is definately not called for. I`m not angry that he expressed his opinion, but why in such a profane way ? It seems that this is the only way some people find to cummunicate, what a shame as it spoils it for other people who read such items. I would never write to anyone in such a manner.

P.S. I wonder if he were in a pub and a 6 foot biker jumped queue to get served, he would use that language on him ?

RE: philips hacked but problems

What a nasty person you are. Yes it was you that I was referring to but did not think it was appropriate to give your name as I would not want to upset you or for everybody to read that it was you. To use the kind of language that I just read is disgraceful and do not want any help from you anymore.

You are wrong by the way about the problem. If I had bought a regoin1 version of the player, are you telling me the display would be the wrong size ? I don`t think so. Also I had a toshiba sd 100 multi region and this did not have this problem at all, I only sent it back because it was so noisy in playback. And yes you did suggest buying a better tv as you said that is probably the cause the problem. Also if you know so much about my machine, how come you thought that there is a ntsc/pal switch on the back, I have a feeling this is on the older 710.

I understand if you got upset at my comments of my previous posting but there is no need to use strong language, Is that the only way you and people like you find to vent your anger. TUT TUT !

philips hacked but problems

I recently hacked my philips dvd 711 for multi region using the one for all remote method but have problems.
The first is that the dvd player background display(the bit that say "philips" in big writing in the background) and the menu for it goes larger than usual when playing region 1 discs only.
The second is that this also affects the icons for my tv (a new grundig 32" widescreen) making them cut-off along the bottom of them i.e. the mute icon (a grey square with a speaker icon within it) is now half a square. The picture also has a flickering in the bottom left hand corner of the display which affects region 1 discs only.

Also, which may be un-related, is that of the only two region 1 discs that I have (toy story 1 & 2), toy story 2 has a problem in that when it gets past chapter 3 , search in play is no longer possible and when attempted, just skips to the next chapter . Toy story is fine in this respect.

Anyone have any help on these matters. I have had a reply from someone who suggested that I buy a better tv !!! Fine I thought, I just payed £750 for my new tv, so I`ll ditch it and chip some more off my large gold block to buy another one !! Anyone have a more constructive way of helping.

Thanks

Colin B

This item was edited on Wednesday, 10th January 2001, 02:57